Mouthpiece for musical instruments



H- E. O'BRIEN. MOUTHPIECE FORMUSICAL IN STRUMENTS.. APPLICATION HLED Mom-29. 1920.

1 40 1 ,6 34 Patented Dec. 27, 1921.

gwumdoz 77azzzyl5. OBriem UNITED STATES HARRY E. OBRIEN, OF INDIANAPOLIS,

INDIANA, ASSIGNOE O21 ONE-HALF TO K. BENNE BENTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, EENNSYLVANIA.

MOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented E60. 2", 1921.

Application filed. November 29,1920. Serial No. 427,070.

To all whom it may concern:

7 Be it known that I, HARRY E. OBRIE'N, a citizenof the United States, and a'resident of the city of Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mouthpieces for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mouth-pieces for musical instruments and more particularly for instruments such as clarinets and saxophones.

It is customary to form the mouth-piece for this type of instruments out of such materials as rubber, wood, porcelain or glass, either by molding the same or by fashioning the mouthpiece from a solid block of material. Each of the mouth-pieces is formed with a facing upon which is clamped a reed. It is essential that this facing be at all times true'so that the reed will lie flush against the facing in order that the tone of the instrument be not affected.

In mouth-pieces formed of rubber or wood this facing or bearing surface of the reed becomes warped after continued use and makes the mouth-piece useless. In mouthpieces formed of glass or porcelain, the continuity of the surface becomes destroyed because the glass or porcelain chips. It has proven diflicult, therefore, to form a mouthpiece in which the facing or reed receiving surface could be retained in the perfect condition required.

It is the object, therefore, of my invention to provide a mouth-piece having a reinforced facing against which the reed is clamped. In carrying out my invention, I form the mouth-piece of rubber and mold therein a metal reed-p1ate so positioned as to form the facing. The rubber is vulcanized and the finished product is a hard vulcanized rubber mouth-piece provided with a metal reed-plate.

The metal reed-plate can be formed according to the true shape required before its insertion in the molded rubber mouth-piece and the exact incline required at the tip thereof may be provided.

The invention will be more particularly described in the accompanying drawing in which: v

Figure l is a perspective view of the mouth-piece constructed in accordance with my invention,

termed the facing.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a mouth-piece with the reed in position,

3 is a longitudinal section with the reed removed,

Fig. l. is a transverse section lines 4 -1 in Fig. 1, and.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of plate.

In the drawings the numeral 10 is applied to a mouth-piece which is preferably molded. The numeral 11 indicates the usual reed which is clamped to the mouth-piece by a ligature 12.

The reed-plate 13 is molded in the moutl piece 10 at the side of the mouth-piece It is against this surface that the reed 11 is adapted to be clamped and which surface must necessarily be retained true and unbroken.

The sides of the plate 13 are beveled as indicated at 14 in a downwardly and outwardly inclined direction. The ends of the plate are also similarly beveled as indicated at 15, for a purpose to be more fully hereinafter set forth.

The mouth-piece 10 is suitably bored as at 16 and the plate 13 is apertured as at 17 and at a poin which coincides with the end of the bore 16. The end of the plate 13 adjacent the top of the mouth-piece is inclined as indicated at 18 to allow for the vibration of the reed 11 as is usual in constructions of this type of mouth-piece.

In constructing the mouth-piece the rubber ispacked on the metal plate 13. and around a core which forms the inner bore 16 and taken on the rest.-

the mold is thereafter placed in a rubber vulcanizer and cured until the rubber is thoroughly vulcanized. I

By reason of the bevels 1% and 15 the rubber will securely retain the plate 13 in place and the result will be an integral body. The bevels 14c and 15 provide a purchase for the rubber to enable it to firmly secure the metal reed-plate.

Ashereinbefore stated, the plate 13 shall have been previously shaped in accordance with requirements and when it is subsequently molded in the moutl1-piece it insures a facing absolutely perfect. hen, therefore, the reed 11 is clamped in place, it will lie flush with the facing plate and produces a true tone in the instrument.

The wear on the metal plate will be negligible in comparison with the wear on the "body upon said projections and thereafter vulcanizing said body.

3. A mouthpiece for musical instruments mouth-piece not provided with a similar reinforcing member and consequently the life of the mouth-piece will be imat'erially increased.

Having thus described my invent-ion, What I claim is;

l. A mouthpiece for musical instruments comprising a vulcanized rubber body, a the talllc facing plate formed with pro ections on its edges, said body being molded about said plate, the body overlying said 1310360- tions for securing the plate thereon.

2, A comprising a molded rubber body, a metallio facing plate, 13IO3GC'C1OHS formed on said facing plate, said facing plate being secured to said bodv b r the moldin of said comprising a body of plastic material, a facing plate, downwardly and outwardlyinmouthpiece for musical instruments "with beveled edges in such a manner that the upper surface oi? the reed-plate will lie flush with the outer surface of the mouthpiece, thebeyeled edges being embedded in the rubber and thereafter vulcanizing the same- I V A mouthpiece for musical instruments comprising a molded rubber body and a metallic facing plate, said body'being molded aroundsaid facing plate, said plate and body joined together by Vulcanizing.

HARRY n. OBRIEN. 

